Alfredo Morelos won Celtic the Betfred Cup with 'car crash' performance - Keith Jackson's big match verdict - Daily Record, Dailyrecord.co.uk

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If there are a hundred ways to win a trophy thenCelticprobably thought they experienced the lot. And then along came yesterday.

Because this was the day thatAlfredo Moreloswon them their latest piece of silverware during 364 minutes of unrelenting, dizzying drama which, as far as the crestfallen Colombian is concerned, deteriorated into the ultimate car crash of a cup final.

In theory this was supposed to be the day the free scoring phenomenon scrawled his name all overHampden Parkand perhaps even bring Celtic’s historic trophy sweep shuddering to a halt all on his own.

Well years from now when they dig this one out of the archives the memories of Morelos will probably come flooding back right enough. Just for all the wrong reasons.

In reality was, this was the day he ran into a yellow brick wall in the shape of 6ft 7in Fraser Forster and battered his head against it so many times that he left the national stadium feeling numb and with his goal-scoring senses completely scrambled.

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Image: Garry F McHarg Daily Record)

At the last count Morelos had nine reasonably gilt edged opportunities to break his derby day duck. Some easy than others including a free shot at goal from (yards out having been handed penalty taking responsibilities by James Tavernier ********

But at no point could he find a way around Forster and when Celtic’s keeper even kept out his spot kick, deep in the second half, Morelos looked toward demented by what was happening to him to such an extent that by the end even his instincts had ran out on him.

That the Celtic supporters sarcastically chanted his name as Scott Brown led his team on its latest lap of honor, merely rounded off a thoroughly miserable day for Morelos who must now wait until the end of the month for the chance to make Celtic smile on the other side of their face.

For the time being, though, the jokes will be on Morelos and no-one at Rangers will be able to see the funny side at losing a final they dominated from start until the finish.

For both managers a pre-match hammer blow from the treatment room.

Steven Gerrard would have to send out a midfield minus the mastery and ring craft of Steven Davis, who had failed to recover from a clatter on his ankle at Pittodrie.

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Ryan Jack and Mohamed Elyounoussi

(Image: SNS Group)

In the green corner, Neil Lennon had to find a way of winning this final without Odsonne Endouard leading his attack as the Frenchman was able only to take a place on Celtic’s bench.

These were handicaps which neither manager would have wished for but which both had to overcome against the most unforgiving of backdrops.

But it was Lennon’s ears that were ringing throughout a first half which bewildered Celtic’s supporters to the point of enraging them.

In truth, Celtic started sloppily and went downhill fairly rapidly from there.

They were saved only by the heroics of keeper Forster who, amidst the lashing rain and swirling winds, pulled out one stop after the next to prevent Rangers from converting their superiority into a storm of first half goals.

Some of Forster’s handiwork defied belief. The superhuman stretch to his eft to claw out Ryan Jack’s thunderbolt was so spectacular it made jaws slacken all around the ground and left jack staring at the blackening skies in utter dismay.

But it was Morelos who was suffering the most.

His first effort after minutes squirmed under Forster and was bobbling towards the keeper’s net until Jonny Hayes darted back to lash clear from under the bar.

More chances came and went the way of Morelos who seemed so determined to score his landmark goal that he forgot he might have team mates in far better places and at crucial moments too.

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Image: Action Images via Reuters

And then, five minutes before the break, Forster pulled out his bets one yet, jabbing out one of those tree trunk legs to instinctively divert a the South American’s blast away at point blank range.

Forster got back to his feet, the picture of yellow shirted defiance, but he must have been as confused as the rest of us as to what was actually happening out there before his eyes. He can’t have seen a Celtic side crumbling just as easily as this one was, in an apparent state of confusion.

Were it not for tiny Jeremie Frimpong and big Kris Ajer – both of whom were making massive contributions – then Forster might have felt as if he was completely on his own out there so lackluster and devoid was the rest of Celtic’s performance.

Swamped in midfield, they struggled just to get out of their own half for most of that first half and were reduced to launching long, high balls up towards little Lewis Morgan who was ratting around the ankles of Connor Goldson and Filip Helander but without any success whatsoever.

On the contrary, Rangers were succeeding all over the pitch and, in the case of the likes of Ryan Jack and Ryan Kent, often they were excelling.

That the inconsolable Jack broke down in floods of tears on the final whistle summed up the scale of Rangers’ disappointment. That slow motion replays then showed that the toe of Christopher Julien’s boot was offside a split second before he used the instep to cushion home the winning goal?

That will only slap another layer of pain onto Jack’s suffering.

But it’s Morelos who ought to have been staring at his bedroom ceiling last night wondering how he managed to make such an almighty mess of his own big Hampden moment.